Security officials in Burkina Faso said they had foiled another coup plot in the West African nation and blamed it on former presidential guards.

The government said on Friday that it thwarted a "vast conspiracy" by forces loyal to ousted leader Blaise Compaore that aimed to seize power.

About 30 men from the former president's security unit plotted to free prisoners who were part of a September 2015 coup attempt and then attack the presidential palace, said Interior Minister Simon Compaore.

A local news website Koaci.com quoted the minister as saying the coup plotters also intended to target the headquarters of the gendarmerie in the capital, Ouagadougou, in addition to the detention centre where last year's failed coup leaders were being held.

Guards killed and arrestedAccording to the minister, the coup was planned for October 8 and called for the detention of "certain authorities".

They also intended to create a mutiny in the army barracks and launch a rebellion using social media, he said, adding that at least 10 people had been arrested.

The security ministry said the latest attempt was foiled when two former guards were killed trying to enter the capital.

Blaise Compaore was forced from power in October 2014 following a popular uprising against his attempts to change the constitution to remain in office.

The attempted 2015 coup was staged by troops from the presidential guard loyal to the former leader but was blocked by street protesters and the army, which attacked the plotters' barracks.

The country was plunged into crisis last September when the powerful presidential guards detained the interim leaders who had been running the country since a popular uprising deposed Blaise a year ago.

The elite unit of 1,300 men, loyal to Blaise, had declared a coup and installed rebel leader General Gilbert Diendere, Blaise's former chief of staff, as the country's new leader.

A dozen soldiers were killed in northern Burkina Faso when unidentified gunmen attacked a military post near the border with Mali, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said on Friday, calling the assailants "forces of evil".

Attacks in Burkina Faso were relatively rare before a major attack by al Qaeda-linked fighters on a hotel in the capital, Ouagadougou, that killed 29 people in January.

"This attack demonstrates that the fight against terrorism will be without respite and also underscores the necessary decisions that must be taken to give confidence and vitality to our army," Kabore said.

He said those killed were members of the army's special anti-terrorist group. The army had earlier said that 10 soldiers and one gendarme had been killed.

Islamic militants are active in Burkina Faso's northern neighbor, Mali, and Burkinabe authorities are concerned the long desert border between the two countries could become a transit point for militants.

Friday's attack about 30 km (19 miles) from the Malian border began around 5 a.m. (0500 GMT) and was carried out "by about 40 heavily armed individuals who have not yet been identified," the army said in its statement.

A newly formed militant group led by a fighter formerly loyal to Algeria's Mokhtar Belmokhtar claimed to have attacked a Burkinabe military position in September, and unidentified gunmen killed three Burkinabe soldiers and two civilians in October.

— Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara says he has reached an agreement with rebellious soldiers to end a brief mutiny Saturday, but the deal appeared to be on the verge of crumbling less than two hours later.

In Bouake, the northern city where the uprising began late Friday, soldiers denounced as insufficient the president's assurances that their financial demands would be met. Firing volleys into the air from Kalashnikov rifles and heavy weapons outside a government facility, a mob of angry soldiers trapped the nation's defense minister and other officials inside the building nuntil late Saturday evening.

In addition to Defense Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi, the mayor of Bouake city, other government representatives and local journalists were among those held hostage, reports from the scene said. Soldiers could be heard shouting that they wanted promised cash bonuses paid immediately, not next week.

Three U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were killed in Niger in northwestern Africa on Wednesday after their joint patrol with Nigerien forces was ambushed.

One “partner nation member” also died, and two other Americans were wounded, according to U.S. Africa Command, which released new details about the incident early Thursday. The wounded were evacuated to a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where they were in stable condition, officials said.

The Pentagon has not disclosed the troops’ names or service affiliation, pending notification of their families. Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, confirmed for The Washington Post that those involved were assigned to an elite Special Forces unit.

The incident occurred near the border with Mali, about 120 miles north of the capital of Niamey, officials said. The deaths were first confirmed Wednesday by the New York Times.

U.S. Africa Command, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany, has provided no details about the mission, except to say it was for counterterrorism purposes. It’s unclear, though, why this unit would come into contact with enemy forces while performing what’s typically considered a training and advisory role.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – A local councilman says at least 13 people have died after their truck hit an improvised explosive device after entering Mali from northern Burkina Faso.

Moumouni Tamboura, who works in Djibo village in Burkina Faso, said Thursday the dead were traders who leave Burkina Faso every Thursday for a weekly market in Mali. He says they were killed near Boni village in Mali.

Burkina Faso army vehicles have hit explosive devices in the region in recent months, killing soldiers.

The area along the border is home to a radicalized preacher whose Ansarul Islam organization has carried out deadly attacks on security forces and civilians.

Burkina Faso's government reported last month that more than 114 people died in 2017 in 89 extremist attacks by Ansarul Islam and others.